Resources

The Cemetery

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH. A special meeting of the above board was held yesterday (Friday), at the New Town House. Present: T. Deller, Esq., mayor; Aldermen Dredge and Simmons; and Councillors Jackson, Flint, Adey, Hickman, Turner, Shaw, Fielder, Mason, Randall, and Wilson. The Clerk read a correspondence between Mr. Godwin, j clerk to the cemetery company, and the General Board of Health, who sent it to the clerk of the Local Board, relative to a culvert from the cemetery and sewage of the town. We should have published it in extenso, but the Board thought it advisable not to do so. Mr. Godwin's letter strongly animadverted on the conduct; of the Ltcal Board of Health in declining to carry a culvert from the cemetery to the railway bridge, to en- j able the cemetery company to drain the cemetery; also painting, in no very alluring terms, the present state of I the cemetery, and that, although they had conducted all their affairs "in the most parsimonious manner, they had . been unable yet to pay dividend, and in serio comic style, stating that they were thus " compelled to fly from petty tyrants to the throne," wound up urging upon , the general board to put the full powers of the act in force within the borough. The General Board of Health, in reply to the above, stated that they had no power to make such order, but the proper way would to memorialise the Home office, if the church-yards are in dangerous state to health. The expenses cf the drainage of the cemetery should be borne by the cemetery company ; but, doubtless, it might be done by the local board by a special district rate on the cemetery—the charge to be distributed over 30 years—and the first cost to be defrayed out of loan on the security of the rates. The Clerk stated that he had written to Mr. Godwin, informing him that he had received from the General Board his letter and their reply. This question was quite settled now, as it appeared that the expenses of the drainage of the cemetery should borue by the cemetery company, or that it should done by the local board and charged general district rate on the cemetery. Mr. Dredge.—l think it has been drained enough already. Mr. Mason: The pockets of the shareholders have been drained (laughter.) Mr. Turner said thought the correspondence that had taken place between Mr. Godwin and the General Board was unnecessary. He considered that which was most urgent, and that which was most complained of by the inhabitants, should be done first. It was not his wish not to drain the cemetery at all, but his object was that the culvert from the cemetery should remain in statu quo for the present, and that after Bartholomew street had been completed they would in a better position to carry on the cemetery. Mr. Godwin must have known those were his intentions, and was surprised that Mr. Godwin had acted in the manner he had done; and to use such opprobrious epithets he deserved the censure of this board. Mr. Wilson, we uuderstood, said it was quite a misunderstanding with Mr. Godwin. The Clerk said the cemetery company had placed themselves in a position that the expenses of the drainage must be paid them. Mr. Mason: Mr. Godwin has committed himself by writting to the General Board. Mr. Turner said he had no doubt that Mr. Godwin obtained his information from the partial reports in the papers. He distinctly stated that which was most complained of ought to be done first, and the inhabitants of Bartholomew'streethaving memorialized them on several occasions upon the filthy state of their street, he considered that ought to be done first—not to put the cemetery aside altogether. Mr. Mason said the answer must be satisfactory to Mr. Godwin, but he thought that it was very unnecessary to write to the General Board of Health on the matter. Mr. Dredge : He has not bettered himself. Mr. Hickman : He has rather widened the breach than otherwise. TLe subject then dropped. DRAINAGE TENDERS. Tenders were received from the following persons for making culvert in Bartholomew street and to cover over Northbrook street ditch:—Wm. Shaw, John Cooke and Thomas Cowley, Edward Filder, William Morris, and John Hopson. After a long sitting, the tenders were referred to the surveyor, for him to calculate the amount of each, and the meeting was adjourned to the evening. [In the above report it will be seen that Mr. Turner said that " no doubt Mr. Godwin obtained his information from the partial reports in the papers, and that he distinctly stated that Bartholomew street ought to be done first, and the cemetery afterwards, &c." We beg to call Mr. Turner's attention to the following report which he complains of, and which appeared in our journal July 14 " Alderman Gray said then they would put aside altogether the drain from the cemetery.—Mr. Turner said only for the present. His object was to get one thing first; that which was most urgent. Another time would do for the cemetery, and when they were in a better position." Ed. B.C.]

Sources:

Website designed and maintained by Paul Thompson on behalf of the Friends of Newtown Road Cemetery.